A Family Journey Through the Himalayas | August 1–9, 2026
There are trips where you visit a place, take photographs, check off the sights and come home.
And then there are journeys where the landscape changes every few hours—and somewhere along the way, the journey itself becomes as memorable as the destinations.
Our Ladakh adventure was very much the latter.
Over nine days, the four of us traveled from Mumbai to Srinagar and then overland through Kargil into Ladakh. We crossed legendary mountain passes, visited monasteries and war memorials, stood near the Line of Control, wandered through tiny villages, rode camels through a Himalayan desert, helped repair a mountain road, saw the Milky Way above Pangong Lake and finally left the car behind to trek into Markha Valley.
We planned quite a bit.
But, as we would discover, some of our best experiences weren't planned at all.
August 1 — Navi Mumbai → Srinagar → Sonamarg → Kargil
Our adventure started very early on August 1 with a first for us—flying out of Navi Mumbai Airport.
We landed in Srinagar early in the morning. After breakfast on the flight, all four of us were surprisingly full, awake and ready to hit the road.
Our driver, Mohammed, met us at Srinagar airport.
The official plan for the day was fairly straightforward: drive to Kargil.
When we realized that, we immediately asked Mohammed whether we could squeeze in a quick visit to Dal Lake before leaving Srinagar.
That turned out to be a great decision.
An Unplanned Morning on Dal Lake
We admired the famous houseboats and took a short shikara ride on Dal Lake.
Almost immediately, other little boats began pulling alongside us.
As the kids described them, there was a "shopping boat," a "costume boat," and a "tea boat."
One after another, boats appeared offering something different.
It was a wonderfully entertaining introduction to Kashmir. We hadn't even properly started our road trip, and the itinerary was already going off-script.
After Dal Lake, we headed toward Sonamarg.
Horses to Thajiwas Glacier
At Sonamarg, we added another adventure—a horseback ride toward Thajiwas Glacier.
The horses carried us through the beautiful mountain landscape toward the glacier and back, giving us our first real taste of the Himalayan scenery that would surround us for the next several days.
And then came our first random food discovery.
A street vendor was selling an unusual coconut-based, fruit-looking sweet called kulcha.
We weren't entirely sure what to expect, but naturally we had to try it.
It wouldn't be the last time curiosity determined what we ate on this trip.
Zoji La and Kargil
From Sonamarg, we climbed toward Zoji La Pass.
The landscape began changing dramatically. Kashmir's lush green scenery gradually gave way to steeper, more rugged mountains.
Eventually, we entered the Drass region and reached the Kargil War Memorial and museum.
This was one of the most moving experiences of the entire journey.
Standing there and looking at the actual mountains where soldiers fought during the 1999 Kargil War gives you an appreciation that no textbook or documentary can quite reproduce.
Then the experience became unexpectedly personal.
Marathi, Thane and a Soldier's Bag
As we walked around, we heard several soldiers speaking Marathi—our language.
Naturally, we struck up a conversation.
After speaking with one of their chiefs, we discovered an incredible coincidence.
He was from Thane.
Here we were, deep in the mountains near Kargil, and suddenly we had found someone connected to home.
During our conversation, we learned that he had a rather large bag he was trying to send back to his family in Thane.
Of course, we offered to take it with us.
It was such a small contribution on our part, particularly after spending time understanding what these soldiers sacrifice by serving in such incredibly difficult conditions.
But it felt good to be able to make one small thing easier for someone who does so much.
Apparently, We Forgot Lunch
Somewhere between Dal Lake, horses, the glacier, Zoji La and Kargil, we essentially forgot to eat lunch.
Fortunately, the flight breakfast—and perhaps the mysterious kulcha—had carried us surprisingly far.
By evening, we finally reached White Castle Hotel in Kargil, which had beautiful views.
Arya and Atharva were completely finished with the day and went to sleep without dinner. Harshal and I enjoyed dinner together and finally called it a night. Note to self was better time management on lunch rest of the trip.
Our Two-Room Experiment
This trip also introduced a new family travel arrangement.
We had booked two rooms everywhere—two and two.
For the first time, Arya and Atharva had their own hotel room while Harshal and I had ours.
It turned out brilliantly.
The kids enjoyed their independence, peace and quiet.
And Harshal and I rather enjoyed ours too.
Apparently, giving teenagers their own hotel room might be one of the great family-travel discoveries.
August 2 — Kargil → Mulbekh → Namika La → Lamayuru → Leh
Day 2 started with a lovely breakfast at the White Castle restaurant.
One convenient feature throughout our trip was that breakfast and dinner were included at our hotels. We could wake up, eat well and hit the road without having to search for food first thing in the morning.
Our first official destination was Mulbekh, but we quickly learned that in Ladakh, the roadside itself is an attraction.
Prayer flags, prayer wheels and stupas began appearing against the mountains.
Naturally, we made several spontaneous photo stops.
Buddha and Three Kittens
At Mulbekh, we visited the famous rock-carved Buddha and monastery.
The surroundings were incredibly peaceful.
Harshal and I were soaking in the serenity when Arya and Atharva discovered their own attraction:
a mother cat and her three kittens playing near the footsteps of the Buddha.
So while we appreciated the monastery, the kids enjoyed an unexpected Himalayan cat show.
Everyone was happy.
Namika La and the Open Road
We continued toward Namika La Pass, at roughly 12,000 feet.
We were taking Diamox, and thankfully altitude sickness had not become a problem.
Instead, we could simply enjoy the drive.
Motorcycles wound their way along enormous mountain roads. Long ribbons of asphalt disappeared around bends. Every turn seemed to reveal another photograph.
Lamayuru and Moonland
Next came Lamayuru Monastery, dramatically positioned among the mountains.
We explored, took plenty of photographs and then experienced the strange landscape surrounding Lamayuru known as Moonland.
The pale, eroded mountains genuinely look otherworldly.
Conveniently, lunch came with a perfect view.
Thukpa Overlooking Moonland
We stopped at Tharapaling Restaurant, whose terrace overlooked Moonland.
Here we enjoyed thukpa, a warm Himalayan noodle soup, along with a vegetarian Ladakhi special meal.
After completely missing lunch the day before, we were improving.
Hot thukpa, cool mountain air and Moonland spread out in front of us—it was a memorable combination.
Sangam and Gurudwara Pathar Sahib
We continued to Sangam Point, where the Indus and Zanskar rivers meet.
From there, we visited Gurudwara Pathar Sahib.
The prasad was divine.
More importantly, the day gave Arya and Atharva an opportunity to experience both Buddhist and Sikh traditions firsthand.
Nobody needed a history or religion lesson.
They were simply learning by being there.
Our First Night in Leh
By evening, we reached Leh and checked into Leh Plaza, which turned out to be one of our favorite hotels of the trip.
Here we met Ali, who would be our driver for the next several days.
Another member of the team collected the kids' passports and paperwork required for the permits. They would get up early the following morning and stand in line to secure them for us.
Then we discovered another advantage of Leh Plaza.
Leh Market was a stone's throw away.
After dinner, all four of us went for a stroll through the night market.
After two days on mountain roads, it felt wonderful to wander around with no agenda.
August 3 — Leh → Khardung La → Diskit → Hunder → Nubra Valley
Day 3 began with fresh Ladakhi apricots that we had purchased earlier.
Ladakh is famous for its apricots, and they quickly became one of the flavors of the trip.
Photography Above Leh
Our first stop was the Leh Viewpoint, where Harshal pulled out his Nikon and gave Arya and Atharva an impromptu photography lesson.
With Leh below and mountains surrounding them, the kids couldn't have asked for a better classroom.
Then we began climbing toward Khardung La.
Thanks to the Diamox and gradual acclimatization, everyone was doing well with the altitude.
At Khardung La, we did the obvious thing:
took lots and lots of photographs.
On the descent, we made more spontaneous stops, including some mandatory yak photographs.
The Hairpin-Bend Café
Then someone needed a restroom.
That simple requirement led to one of our favorite accidental discoveries.
At an inconspicuous hairpin bend near Khardung La was a tiny café.
We stopped and ordered Kashmiri kahwa and Maggi.
Maggi was rapidly becoming a family favorite throughout this trip.
From the café, we could walk toward a serene stretch of water surrounded by mountains.
Holding a hot cup of tea, walking beside the water and looking at the mountains was simply magical.
Nobody had planned this stop.
Which made it even better.
We Remembered Lunch!
Determined not to repeat Day 1, we decided to eat lunch early.
At Khalsa Nubra, a newer Punjabi restaurant, we enjoyed a proper Punjabi meal before continuing toward Diskit.
Diskit Monastery
At Diskit Monastery, the enormous Maitreya Buddha dominated the landscape.
We explored the monastery itself, climbing through its different rooms and temples.
At the end, we were treated to lovely tea and coffee.
Then we noticed a huge crowd gathering.
An important senior monk was arriving, and people had assembled to welcome him.
Completely by chance, we found ourselves there at exactly the right time and managed to catch a glimpse of him.
Camels in the Himalayas
Next came the Hunder Sand Dunes.
Sand dunes surrounded by Himalayan mountains are strange enough.
Add double-humped Bactrian camels and the landscape becomes almost surreal.
All four of us went for a camel ride.
Snow Leopard
That evening, we checked into Hotel Snow Leopard in Nubra Valley.
The hotel had a wonderful surprise:
apple and apricot trees growing right in the front yard.
We enjoyed another excellent dinner and met a family from the Netherlands traveling with their three children. We chatted over dinner and would meet them again at breakfast the following morning.
After dinner, Harshal, Arya and I walked five to seven minutes to a nearby artisan bazaar.
We loved its atmosphere and immediately decided:
Tomorrow, we were coming back with Atharva.
August 4 — Nubra → Shyok → Thang → Turtuk → Nubra
After breakfast, we followed the beautiful Shyok River toward Turtuk.
Streams tumbled down from the mountains to meet the river, providing endless reasons to stop for photographs.
Understanding a Soldier's Load
We stopped at the Shyok War Memorial, where we were able to see the equipment and heavy backpacks carried by soldiers serving at these altitudes.
Having now experienced the thin air ourselves, it was sobering to imagine carrying that weight through these mountains—and then having to fight while wearing it.
Thang and the Line of Control
We continued to Thang, a tiny village near the Line of Control.
From there, we could look across the LOC toward a Pakistani village and bunker while also seeing Indian positions on our side.
After hearing about the LOC throughout our lives, physically standing there and looking across it felt surreal.
Meanwhile, everyday village life continued around us.
We bought fruit, rosemary and tea from local women.
The Mukur-Thang Bridge
On our return journey, we stopped at an old, rickety bridge across the Shyok River near Mukur-Thang.
It looked equal parts fascinating and questionable.
Naturally, that made the experience even more fun.
Turtuk and Balti Pizza
Eventually, we reached Turtuk.
Food came first.
We stopped at Nomad Hunger, where we met and photographed the chef, who we were told had appeared on MasterChef India.
We tried Balti pizza and Balti noodles.
Then we began exploring.
The Village That Wins You Over
Turtuk was one of the most fascinating places we visited.
Apricot and walnut trees grow everywhere. Tiny pedestrian passages weave between houses. Water runs through channels alongside the paths.
There isn't one enormous attraction.
The village itself is the attraction.
Our first unusual stop was a traditional natural cold-storage structure, where the naturally cool environment is still used to preserve things such as butter.
But it was the elderly gentleman there—not the refrigerator—who made the experience memorable.
He told us his life story: growing up without much formal education, helping the Indian Army as a young man and eventually becoming estranged from his family.
He spoke directly to Arya and Atharva about the importance of caring for your parents.
It was unexpectedly touching.
Sometimes the best travel lessons don't come from museums.
They come from conversations.
Yabgo Palace and Turtuk's History
At Yabgo Palace, we learned more about the complicated history of Baltistan and the connections among Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India, Pakistan and the larger Himalayan region.
Understanding the history made Turtuk's distinctive culture make much more sense.
By the time we left, Turtuk had completely won us over.
Back to the Bazaar
We returned to Snow Leopard for dinner.
Then we fulfilled our promise.
This time all four of us walked to the artisan bazaar.
There was live music, a wonderful atmosphere, and the kids shopped for T-shirts.
It was the perfect ending to our final evening in Nubra.
August 5 — Nubra → Shyok Route → Durbuk → Pangong Lake
After breakfast at Snow Leopard, we began our drive toward Pangong Lake, once again following the Shyok River.
We knew portions of the road could be rough.
We didn't know we were about to help build one.
We Built Our Own Road
At one badly damaged section, vehicles couldn't safely cross.
People started getting out of their cars.
Large rocks appeared.
Then smaller stones.
Drivers and travelers began working together to fill the broken section.
Harshal and I joined in.
For a few minutes, none of us was a tourist. We were simply strangers working together to create enough of a road for everyone to continue.
The camaraderie was instant.
Then came the satisfying part:
We climbed back into our vehicle and drove over the road we'd just helped build.
It may have been one of the most unexpected activities of the entire vacation.
Momos on the Way to Pangong
We continued toward Durbuk and eventually stopped at Himalaya Kitchen, close to Pangong.
Hot momos and kahwa were exactly what we needed.
Then we continued onward.
And finally Pangong appeared.
Pangong
No photograph quite prepares you for Pangong Lake.
The brilliant water against barren mountains is almost unreal.
We stopped for photographs before reaching Lemon Green Resort, our home for the night.
For the first time during the trip, it was seriously cold.
And waiting outside our cabin was another surprise.
Meet Peche
We met a four-month-old calf named Peche.
Arya and Atharva immediately fell in love.
Our unofficial animal tour now included kittens, yaks, camels and Peche.
We bundled up and walked down toward Pangong, where we took family photographs by the lake.
Afterward, we returned to Lemon Green and enjoyed dinner.
But the day's best sight came at 10 p.m.
The Milky Way
We walked outside and looked up.
Away from city lights, the sky above Pangong was extraordinary.
And then we realized:
We could see the Milky Way with our naked eyes.
No telescope.
No photograph.
Just us, the mountains, Pangong and an unbelievably dark Himalayan sky.
There wasn't much to say.
We simply stood there and looked.
August 6 — Pangong → Chang La → Thiksey → Leh
The next morning, Harshal and I woke up early and went for a quiet walk beside Pangong near Maan village.
Without the daytime crowds, the lake felt completely different.
We eventually returned to Lemon Green and joined Arya and Atharva for breakfast.
Our breakfasts throughout the trip were wonderfully familiar and comforting—often poha or upma, along with puri and sabzi.
Then it was time to leave Pangong.
Sort of.
Because first we needed more photographs.
One Last Drive Along Pangong
We stopped several times along the lake as the changing light created entirely different shades of blue.
We also encountered a wonderful surprise:
a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
For our Maharashtrian family, finding Shivaji Maharaj here in Ladakh was particularly meaningful, connected to the presence of the Maratha regiment in the Pangong region.
First Marathi-speaking soldiers in Kargil.
Now Shivaji Maharaj beside Pangong.
Little pieces of Maharashtra kept finding us in Ladakh.
As we continued, there were more scenic stops with wild horses and yaks before the road began climbing toward another major mountain pass.
Chang La
We reached Chang La Pass, another of Ladakh's spectacular high-altitude crossings.
By now we had crossed Zoji La, Namika La and Khardung La.
Yet somehow, another high mountain pass still didn't feel ordinary.
After Chang La, we began descending and stopped for a meal at Ibex Restaurant.
Then came one of the great cultural experiences of our journey.
A Rare Experience at Thiksey Monastery
We arrived at Thiksey Monastery at exactly the right time.
The monks were gathered for prayers.
We watched as monks ranging from a little boy to elderly men sat together in straight lines.
Then the sounds began.
Chanting.
Drums.
Conch shells.
And a long, trumpet-like traditional Buddhist instrument whose deep sound filled the monastery.
We had already visited several Buddhist monasteries during the trip.
But this was different.
We weren't simply looking at the monastery.
We were watching its traditions being lived.
It felt like a rare privilege to be there.
That evening, we returned to Leh Plaza, relaxed, ate dinner, took another short stroll through the market and retired early.
Tomorrow we were leaving the car behind.
August 7 — Leh → Skiu → Sara → Markha Valley
We woke early and drove approximately two hours to Skiu Village, where we met our trekking guide, Nima.
Nima carried something we were very happy never to need:
an oxygen cylinder.
He was an experienced guide who had scaled multiple mountains around Ladakh and turned out to be excellent company.
As we walked, he recommended future hiking destinations, including areas in Sikkim.
But some of the most interesting conversations were about his family.
His daughter was in the UK.
His son was a Buddhist monk.
After spending the previous afternoon watching monks praying at Thiksey, it was fascinating to hear from a father about what life as a monk actually entails.
Walking Into Markha Valley
Our original plan called for an approximately 11-kilometer hike to Sara Village.
Immediately, Ladakh felt different on foot.
Instead of watching mountains through a car window, we were walking beneath them.
We followed trails, crossed streams and passed small settlements surrounded by an almost overwhelming amount of open space.
Lunch and the Seabuckthorn Experiment
Along the way, we stopped at the Skiu Women's Cooperative for lunch.
I decided to try seabuckthorn juice.
It was an interesting local experience.
Unfortunately, it didn't sit particularly well with me later during the hike.
Perhaps not my finest pre-trekking beverage decision.
Sara and More Kittens
We reached Sara Village around 3 p.m.
There, after some very welcome tea and coffee, Arya and Atharva discovered:
two kittens.
By now it was official.
The secondary theme of this vacation was definitely animals.
Cats and kittens at Mulbekh.
Yaks.
Bactrian camels.
Wild horses.
Peche.
And now Sara's kittens.
According to the itinerary, we were supposed to stay in Sara that night.
Instead, we made a decision that seemed perfectly reasonable at 3 p.m.
Why not complete tomorrow's trek today too?
Two Days of Trekking in One
We put our packs back on and continued toward Markha Village.
The afternoon became evening.
And we kept walking.
Arya was doing fine.
Atharva was doing fine.
Harshal was doing fine.
I was increasingly less fine.
We finally reached Markha at approximately 7:30 p.m.
I was wiped out.
The other three somehow seemed perfectly functional.
And our timing couldn't have been better.
Almost as soon as we entered our homestay, the rain began pouring outside and darkness descended over the valley.
We had made it.
Dinner on the Floor
That evening, we sat cross-legged, family-style, in the dining area.
We were served a wonderfully satisfying meal of roti, sabzi and fried rice.
After everything we had walked that day, it tasted fantastic.
We also struck up conversations with fellow European travelers, including people with connections to the Netherlands and Belgium and a family member working at an embassy in Delhi.
Once again, complete strangers from different corners of the world had somehow ended up sharing stories around a table in a tiny Himalayan village.
A Very Different Kind of Hotel
Our Markha accommodation was a true homestay.
And basic meant basic.
We slept on traditional rugs and bedding.
The toilet was essentially a hole in the floor with no plumbing.
There were none of the conveniences that had surrounded us at Leh Plaza or Snow Leopard.
And that produced one of the most satisfying moments of the entire trip.
Arya and Atharva began talking about how privileged their everyday lives were back in the United States.
For Harshal and me, that realization alone made the experience worthwhile.
Sometimes you can tell children a hundred times to appreciate what they have.
Sometimes a night in a remote Himalayan village explains it much better.
Exhausted, we went to sleep.
August 8 — Markha → Sara → Leh
The next morning, we woke up in Markha Valley, had breakfast at our homestay and prepared to start walking again.
There was, of course, one consequence to our brilliant decision to combine two trekking days into one:
we now had to walk back.
We retraced our route toward Sara Village, seeing the valley from the opposite direction.
Eventually, we reached our pickup point and transitioned from hiking boots back to four wheels.
After the simplicity of the Markha homestay, returning to Leh Plaza felt remarkably luxurious.
There was no ambitious sightseeing plan.
No mountain pass.
No monastery to climb.
No road to repair.
We simply relaxed and packed our bags.
The next morning, we were going home.
August 9 — Leh → Delhi → Navi Mumbai → Home
The next morning, we said goodbye to Ladakh and flew from Leh to Delhi.
We had a long enough layover to make one final family decision.
Why sit in an airport when there was still time for one more mini-adventure?
We hired a cab and headed out into Delhi.
Time was limited, so this was sightseeing at family-road-trip speed.
We managed to see Qutub Minar from outside.
Then the Bahá'í Lotus Temple from outside.
And naturally, we needed one final food experience.
We stopped at a Delhi chaat corner and enjoyed some chaat before heading back toward the airport.
Later that evening, we boarded our flight to Navi Mumbai.
By the time we reached home, it was late at night.
And suddenly, after nine days of mountains, monasteries, lakes, rivers, deserts, villages and trekking trails, our Ladakh adventure was over.
What We Brought Home From Ladakh
We went to Ladakh expecting spectacular scenery.
We certainly got that.
But looking back, the famous sights aren't necessarily the memories that stand out most.
I remember the little boats surrounding our shikara on Dal Lake.
I remember hearing Marathi at the Kargil War Memorial and discovering that a soldier was from Thane—and then carrying his bag home for him.
I remember three kittens playing beneath the Buddha at Mulbekh.
Hot Maggi and kahwa at an anonymous hairpin bend near Khardung La.
The enormous packs carried by soldiers in terrain where simply walking can leave you breathless.
Standing at Thang and looking across the Line of Control.
The old gentleman in Turtuk telling Arya and Atharva to remember the importance of their parents.
Four of us riding Bactrian camels through a Himalayan desert.
Harshal and me moving rocks with complete strangers to build enough of a road for our vehicles to cross.
Peche waiting outside our cabin at Pangong.
Standing outside at 10 p.m. and seeing the Milky Way with our naked eyes.
Finding Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj thousands of kilometers from Maharashtra.
The sound of drums, conch shells, horns and chanting monks at Thiksey.
Nima walking beside us and telling us about his mountains, his daughter and his son's life as a monk.
More kittens in Sara.
Walking much farther than I thought I wanted to walk.
Arriving exhausted in Markha just as the rain began pouring.
And perhaps most importantly, hearing our children recognize, without being prompted, just how fortunate and comfortable their everyday lives really are.
Those weren't itinerary items.
They were the trip.
We started on August 1 as four travelers with hotel reservations, drivers and a list of places we were supposed to visit.
Nine days later, we returned home with hundreds of photographs, tired legs, a soldier's bag headed toward Thane, plenty of stories and a much greater appreciation for this extraordinary corner of India.
The mountains were spectacular.
Pangong was unforgettable.
Markha tested us.
Turtuk surprised us.
And the people we met along the way added dimensions to the journey that no itinerary could possibly have planned.
Perhaps that was our biggest lesson from Ladakh.
Plan the route. Book the hotels. Know where you're going.
But always leave enough room for the unexpected.
Because sometimes the unexpected becomes the part you remember most.
